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I Am A 62 Year Old Female Who Was Diagnosed
Question: I am a 62 year old female who was diagnosed in 2017 with Tubular Cancer in my left breast. One node came back clean another was questionable. I'll never know what that meant because I didn't ask. The tumor was 2.5 - 3 centimeters long. I had 20 sessions of Radiation and finished that in October 2017. May of 2018 I felt my breast getting hard and by August was diagnosed with Lymphedema in my breast, chest and a few cords in my arm. I was told that removing the breast would remove the lymphedema. So it was removed and reconstruction took place at the same time. That was 13 weeks ago and in a visit with my Dr. today I was told I still have some lymphedema in the chest and under my arm?? Will the lymphedema spread and continue to invade my body for the rest of my life??? Was I lead astray as to believe the lymphedema would be gone after the surgery???
I am a 62 year old female who was diagnosed in 2017 with Tubular Cancer in my left breast. One node came back clean another was questionable. I'll never know what that meant because I didn't ask. The tumor was 2.5 - 3 centimeters long. I had 20 sessions of Radiation and finished that in October 2017. May of 2018 I felt my breast getting hard and by August was diagnosed with Lymphedema in my breast, chest and a few cords in my arm. I was told that removing the breast would remove the lymphedema. So it was removed and reconstruction took place at the same time. That was 13 weeks ago and in a visit with my Dr. today I was told I still have some lymphedema in the chest and under my arm?? Will the lymphedema spread and continue to invade my body for the rest of my life??? Was I lead astray as to believe the lymphedema would be gone after the surgery???
Brief Answer:
Lymphedema depends upon number of lymph nodes dissected
Detailed Answer:
Hi
Thanks for your query.
I understand your concerns. If you could share your original pathology report of the cancer surgery then it would help.
The higher the number of lymph nodes taken out from armpit, higher the risk of lymphedema. However, this is unavoidable in many patients, especially if they have larger tumors or involved armpit nodes. In other cases a sentinel node biopsy is done which removes only 1-3 nodes. I presume you had this and only two nodes were taken out. In that case risk of lymphedema of same sided arm is quite low. Breast can have lymphedema because of radiation though.
I think you are having minimal lymphedema of armpit/arm. That shouldn't progress, presuming you had sentinel node biopsy and not full nodal dissection. In any case, lymphedema will not progress to other parts of the body, only the same arm and part of chest wall.
Hope this helps.
Regards
Lymphedema depends upon number of lymph nodes dissected
Detailed Answer:
Hi
Thanks for your query.
I understand your concerns. If you could share your original pathology report of the cancer surgery then it would help.
The higher the number of lymph nodes taken out from armpit, higher the risk of lymphedema. However, this is unavoidable in many patients, especially if they have larger tumors or involved armpit nodes. In other cases a sentinel node biopsy is done which removes only 1-3 nodes. I presume you had this and only two nodes were taken out. In that case risk of lymphedema of same sided arm is quite low. Breast can have lymphedema because of radiation though.
I think you are having minimal lymphedema of armpit/arm. That shouldn't progress, presuming you had sentinel node biopsy and not full nodal dissection. In any case, lymphedema will not progress to other parts of the body, only the same arm and part of chest wall.
Hope this helps.
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Nagamani Ng
Brief Answer:
Lymphedema depends upon number of lymph nodes dissected
Detailed Answer:
Hi
Thanks for your query.
I understand your concerns. If you could share your original pathology report of the cancer surgery then it would help.
The higher the number of lymph nodes taken out from armpit, higher the risk of lymphedema. However, this is unavoidable in many patients, especially if they have larger tumors or involved armpit nodes. In other cases a sentinel node biopsy is done which removes only 1-3 nodes. I presume you had this and only two nodes were taken out. In that case risk of lymphedema of same sided arm is quite low. Breast can have lymphedema because of radiation though.
I think you are having minimal lymphedema of armpit/arm. That shouldn't progress, presuming you had sentinel node biopsy and not full nodal dissection. In any case, lymphedema will not progress to other parts of the body, only the same arm and part of chest wall.
Hope this helps.
Regards
Lymphedema depends upon number of lymph nodes dissected
Detailed Answer:
Hi
Thanks for your query.
I understand your concerns. If you could share your original pathology report of the cancer surgery then it would help.
The higher the number of lymph nodes taken out from armpit, higher the risk of lymphedema. However, this is unavoidable in many patients, especially if they have larger tumors or involved armpit nodes. In other cases a sentinel node biopsy is done which removes only 1-3 nodes. I presume you had this and only two nodes were taken out. In that case risk of lymphedema of same sided arm is quite low. Breast can have lymphedema because of radiation though.
I think you are having minimal lymphedema of armpit/arm. That shouldn't progress, presuming you had sentinel node biopsy and not full nodal dissection. In any case, lymphedema will not progress to other parts of the body, only the same arm and part of chest wall.
Hope this helps.
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Nagamani Ng
Hello,
Thank you for your response. I have attached the Pathology Report from my Lumpectomy on 6/14/17 and my report from the Mastectomy on 7/10/19 for your review. Please let me know if you have any other advice. I feel what started out to be a simple Lumpectomy has snowballed and I will be effected by the Lymphedema for the rest of my life.
Best Regards
Thank you for your response. I have attached the Pathology Report from my Lumpectomy on 6/14/17 and my report from the Mastectomy on 7/10/19 for your review. Please let me know if you have any other advice. I feel what started out to be a simple Lumpectomy has snowballed and I will be effected by the Lymphedema for the rest of my life.
Best Regards
Hello,
Thank you for your response. I have attached the Pathology Report from my Lumpectomy on 6/14/17 and my report from the Mastectomy on 7/10/19 for your review. Please let me know if you have any other advice. I feel what started out to be a simple Lumpectomy has snowballed and I will be effected by the Lymphedema for the rest of my life.
Best Regards
Thank you for your response. I have attached the Pathology Report from my Lumpectomy on 6/14/17 and my report from the Mastectomy on 7/10/19 for your review. Please let me know if you have any other advice. I feel what started out to be a simple Lumpectomy has snowballed and I will be effected by the Lymphedema for the rest of my life.
Best Regards
Brief Answer:
Yes it was sentinel node biopsy
Detailed Answer:
Hence my previous observation stands, ie lymphedema is unlikely to progress further.
Regards
Yes it was sentinel node biopsy
Detailed Answer:
Hence my previous observation stands, ie lymphedema is unlikely to progress further.
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Brief Answer:
Yes it was sentinel node biopsy
Detailed Answer:
Hence my previous observation stands, ie lymphedema is unlikely to progress further.
Regards
Yes it was sentinel node biopsy
Detailed Answer:
Hence my previous observation stands, ie lymphedema is unlikely to progress further.
Regards
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
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